We, human beings, have stepped into the most sophisticated stage of human history. The genesis of such an unprecedented advancement can, inter alia, be attributed to the advancement of science and technology. It is with the application of advanced scientific knowledge we have been able to make our lives easy. We have now improved health facilities, better transportation means, refined technological upgradation and better education facilities. We have been able to explore the sea, the earth and the sky and made them beneficial for mankind. The impact of technological advancement is seen more prominently in the means of communication and entertainment. Undoubtedly, the progress of all spheres of life has brought about a metamorphic change in our behaviour and habits. Use of the internet and other social media apps like Facebook, Youtube, Instagram etc. have emerged as potent agents of social change which have paved a way for effortless accumulation of wealth, have smoothened the way for running after unbridled desires and have become a potential source of vulgarity, indecency and moral decay. When uncontrolled desires ride the human brain distinction between human beings and animals becomes harder. Excessive use of modern gadgets equipped with internet facilities has not only crippled the social structure but also has hollowed the intellectual capabilities of our younger generation. One of the peculiar characteristic features of human beings is human fallibility. Psychologists have put forward various theories of human behaviour which forewarn that human behaviour, if not modified as per the established principles, is prone to frailty and errancy. And there is ample empirical evidence revealing that man is more attracted towards pleasure- providing objects and actions. Vices are neither taught nor is special training required to embrace them. They just need a medium to percolate unhindered in society. Internet, the use of smart phones and other electronic gadgets have provided such a medium to our current generation as a result of which every individual has fallen prey to it. Today we see every individual belonging to every stratum of society is seen absorbed in their smart phones forgetting everything around him. Students don’t find time to learn moral values, ethics and wisdom instead they are hell-bent on aping hippy culture and other undesirable stuff. They have become free thinkers keeping aside moral codes and principles. It is a well-cherished myth that internet facility has helped students to acquire knowledge and thus made them capable of withstanding the challenges of the contemporary era but the fact of the matter is that anything obtained effortlessly does not last long. Prolonged screen time has promoted confinement and loneliness. Particularly students and youth like private, secluded and unfrequented shelters to stay connected online. This has given rise to a fragile family system. We don’t find time to strengthen our relations and family values like brotherhood, empathy, mutual respect, togetherness and like others. The more we progress in this direction the more moral degradation is being seen in our younger generation. Advancement is thus inversely related to moral and ethical values. It seems that as technological advancement gears up moral values deplete and vice versa.
On the economic front, technological advancement has resulted in optimal exploitation and utilization of sources and resources. Over the years per capita income of the people has unprecedentedly gone high on account of the availability of all types of jobs for the youths. There are no dearth of employment opportunities in all the three sectors of the economy viz, agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors thus raising the living standard of the people never seen before. The undisputable intent of such advancement is to make human life easy, comfortable and well-informed. Yes, technology has done so; our lives have become easy and we have been able to stuff our houses with all the consumerist-material, sophisticated-gadgetries and aesthetic components which in turn have unprecedentedly raised the level of comfort. Raised comfort level gives rise to a luxurious lifestyle. And the Lavish lifestyle is the concomitant result of chronic capitalism. Technological advancement inevitably leads us toward the capitalistic way of consumption pattern. It sometimes causes a decline in the efficiency and ability to work. When I was doing graduation there used to be a lesson in the English textbook of B. A Part First titled” How Wealth Accumulates and Man Decay” written by George Barnard Shaw. In his essay, Shaw exemplifies the disastrous nature of capitalism on the human mind. In pursuit of profit and accumulation of wealth, the gulf between the rich and the poor has widened. A luxurious lifestyle does not only erode human intellect but it also causes health hazards. An inactive lifestyle raises the risk of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. The available data reveal that urban societies are more prone to life-consuming diseases than rural societies. People living in rural areas are comparatively healthier and have more stamina to work physically and mentally. Apart from this economic inequalities arising out of lopsided advancement have discriminated between haves and have-nots, thus, fracturing the social fabric in the most undesirable way. Here again, there is the likelihood of a trade-off between what we call social and economic advancement and established principles of morality and ethics. There is the complete disintegration of society in general and families in particular. Briefly speaking, we have landed in an extremely competitive and acquisitive society. Behind this ever-expanding progression in technology, there is the human brain, intellect and curiosity and the ultimate beneficiaries of such advancement are also human beings. Being the superior creation among all the creations it deserves progression, elevation and preferment. But a perplexing question mutely strikes my mind all the time; are we human beings really feel elevated after banking on what technology offers us? For human elevation and undisputable progression peace of mind is a prerequisite. As someone has put it rightly, “Peace of mind is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of family; it is the advancement of man, the victory of justice, the triumph of truth”. And to attain peace upholding ‘moral and ethical values is indispensable. Moral sensitivity, moral judgment, moral motivation and moral character are the four fundamentals of moral behaviour. Is technology promoting any one of these four components of moral behaviour? The answer is a big “No”. Had it been so there would not have been the ever-worsening cultural degeneration and deep-rooted dehumanization that we are witnessing today in our societies. Gone are the days when values like truthfulness, honesty, beauty, respectfulness, loyalty, cooperativeness and kinship were practiced wholeheartedly thus promoting peace, tranquility, contentment, mutual respect and serenity among the masses. Today we see respectlessness among our youth, deceitfulness and widespread moral corruption, as discussed earlier. In my opinion technological advancement is not bad in itself and as such, I am not totally against its progression and development. As discussed earlier, it has revolutionized human life in totality. My concern is that it should not be left unregulated and uncontrolled. There should be curbs on its incautious and careless use. The government in collaboration with societies should design such a mechanism that can ensure only sensible and judicious use of this advanced technology. If such advancement is not controlled and regulated the inverse relationship between the two will continue to worsen and a time will come when moral and ethical values would only be read in books.
(The author is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Government Higher Secondary School, Khellani Doda.Views are his own)
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